Article published Jan 7, 2007
UXBRIDGE — The Blackstone River Coalition recently recognized Lampin Corporation, an
Uxbridge-based employee-owned company, for reducing the facility’s
stormwater impacts and
being "In Business for the Blackstone".
Although the company has established several processes to minimize the impacts of their manufacturing processes, the In Business program raised the employees’s awareness of opportunities to minimize the facility’s impact on the surrounding ecosystems and protect the community’s natural resources.
"We have always been very focused on the effects of our activities on the inside; as In Business participants we now have a broadened spectrum and more control over the influence that our business has on the environment," said Rick Mongeau, Lampin’s vice president and general manager,in a prepared statement.
The Lampin employees instituted low-and no-cost changes to increase filtration of rain water, reduce the volume of runoff, and prevent pollutants from entering local water bodies. By redirecting one of the building’s gutter spouts to discharge roof runoff into a vegetated area, an annual average of 73,000 gallons of stormwater will now be filtered by the ground cover and returned to the water table, instead of spilling across the parking lot.
This type of runoff can collect grease, oil, metals, and other contaminants before it flows into the storm drain, which discharges into the nearest waterway. In addition to increasing the velocity of the natural flows of rivers and streams, stormwater runoff is the primary unaddressed cause of water pollution today.
Employees are also now more conscientious of keeping the dumpster lid closed to prevent the escape of litter and ensure that rain and snowmelt do not mix with the waste and leach out as potentially toxic "Dumpster juice" that could mix with the stormwater. Additionally, they routinely inspect the loading dock area after deliveries are received and promptly clean up any oil stains left by the trucks.
These good housekeeping practices protect the quality of the community’s natural resources. The activities will also keep the facility’s property clean, preserve the integrity of their parking lot pavement, and minimize the risk of local flooding.
The Blackstone River Coalition’s In Business for the Blackstone is a voluntary leadership program that educates small and mid-sized companies in the watershed on the detriments of contaminated stormwater and encourages the adoption of good housekeeping practices that can reduce the risk of pollutants in their runoff. The program provides outreach materials, technical assistance, and public recognition to those interested in being better stewards.
For more information, visit http://www.zaptheblackstone.org/, or contact Dona Neely, In Business coordinator, at 508-878-1728, or dona.neely@zaptheblackstone.org.
Copyright 2007 Worcester Telegram & Gazette Corp